Process of treating tobacco.



, UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO W. LAWRENSE AND FREDEBIC F. BAHNSON, OF WINS TQN-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA.

PROCESS OF TREATING TOBACCD.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 13, 1914. Application filed August. 28, 1914. Serial No. 859,094.

Tobacco, of which the following is a specifi-.

cation.

This invention relates to the process of aging tobacco and has for its object to treat the tobacco leaf in such a manner that it is made ready for consumption in a time much shorter than that required in the practice of processes hitherto known.

In the known methods of curing or transforming tobacco leaves into the finished product, three steps are recognized, (1 ouring proper; (2) fermentation; an (3) aging.

Our process is designed to artificially treat tobacco, so that a finished product is pro duced without any special or designed fermentation step, from the cured, partly or poorly cured, or even freshly harvested leaf, in a few days or weeks as compared with the months or years required for curing and aging by the known methods.

Our invention is based on the discovery that the requisite changes in the tobacco leaf may be rapidly effected by subjecting it to successive atmospheres of alternately varying humidity, the successive changes in the condition of the atmosphere surrounding the tobacco being effected by artificial means as rapidly as the tobaccowill be affected by.

them and as often asmay be necessary to produce the required result.

We believe that we are the first to ascertain that tobacco can, in a relatively short time, be cured or aged by artificially varying, under controlled conditions, at suitable temperature, and in definite sequence, the conditions of humidity of the atmosphere surrounding the tobacco.

As .an example of the method of operation of our process, about two hundred pounds of partly cured leaf tobacco was placed in a closed room, hung on racks, to permit as free passage as possible of air thereabout. The temperature of the air in the room was then raised to and maintained at a temperature of from 90 to 100 F.,'while the rela cent, during a period of from six to eight hours until the tobacco was thoroughly dry. The temperature was then slightly raised and kept at from 90 to 110 F., while an atmosphere of high relative humidity, from $0 to 95 per cent., was produced by blowing into the atmosphere whenever required, a finely-divided spray of water, during a period of from 12 to 18 hours until the tobacco was thoroughly moistened, z. 6. until the leaf cells have absorbed as much moisture as possible without any appearance of moisture on the leaf. At the end of this period the atmosphere Was again brought back to its former condition of low relative humidity and the resulting drying of the leaf continued for a third period of from six to eight hours, whereupon the conditions of high relative humidity above stated were again produced, and these'alternating treatments continued-until the tobacco was found to be aged or in a finished cond tion, the entlre process having required about 3;; days. During the entire operation, the air in the room was kept in motion by means of a fan. At the end of the treatment the tobacco leaves, had reached that condition as to color, texture, aroma, and permanence that they were forthwith ready to be manufactured into goods, such as cigars, cigarettes, smoking or chewing tobacco, and were fit for storage in hogsheads for an indefinite period, without liability to further important change in structure or condition.

During the successive humidifying and drying steps of the process, it is of importance to keep the atmosphere of the room in motion or circulation, as by means of a fan, in order that the tobacco may be more rapidly affected, and be subjected to conditions as nearly uniform as possible.

Any suitable means for keeping the atmosphere of the room at the proper temperature and humidity may be used, but we have found it advantageous to use automatic and adjustable mechanisms for the purpose.

It will be understood that while we have given above, by way of example, a specific instance of our mode of treatment as applied to a particular kind of tobacco, we do not limit ourselves to these particular conditions of temperature, humidity, time or order of operation. One. or more of these factors may need to be varied in the treatment of differcut varieties of tobacco, or of tobacco already more or less curerL or of tobacco when. hung in racks or treated in bulk, but those skilled in the art will readily understand how to adjust the conditions to produce the desired result.

The advantages of our method of aging will be apparent. As the tobacco is aged under accurately controlled conditions, there is obviated. all danger of rotting or deterioration of the leaf which frequently occurs when natural conditions are relied upon, and during the. long; periods of curing, fermentation and natural aging. The shortening of the time required for aging effects a corresponding saving in storage, interest and insurance charges, and allows any grade of leaf to be placed in processes of manufacture within a short time of its coming on the market. It will be further understood that by our process small or large quantities of tobacco may be successfully cured or aged, and that the process is applicable to freshly harvested or poorly cured tobacco, as Well as to cured or partly cured tobacco.

We claim 1. The process of treating tobacco which consists in subjecting it to the repeated action of successive atmospheres of definitely 30 controlled humidity alternately varied in detion of successive atmospheres of definitely controlled humidity alternately varied in degree sufiicient to thoroughly moisten and thoroughly dry the tobacco and of substantially uniform temperature.

3. The process of artificially aging tobacco, which consists in subjecting cured or partly cured tobacco to the repeated action of successive atmospheres of definitely controlled humidity alternately varied in degree suflicient to thoroughly moisten and thoroughly dry the tobacco.

4c. The. process of artificially aging tobacco, which consists in subjecting it to the action of a maintained highly humid atmosphere, then subjecting it to the action of an atmosphere of maintained relatively low humidity, and then repeating these steps in order until the tobacco is properly aged.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEO XV. LAWRENCE. FREDC. F. BAHNSON. Witnesses:

' Earn Pownas,

A. H. BAHNSON. 

